Erica taylorii E.G.H.Oliv.

Low, prostrate, spreading shrublet up to 200 mm tall and 0.5(-1.2) m across, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: main branches mostly prostrate, numerous old and woody; numerous secondary branches ± 100-300 mm long, erect, with occasional ±5-10 mm long tertiary branches, all ending in a florescence, internodes very short, all covered with fine dense short retrorse hairs, occasionally interspersed with few plumose hairs on older branches. Leaves 3-or 4-nate, imbricate, oblong, 3-5 x 1 mm, erect, adaxially flattened, abaxially rounded, with acute margins, finely hairy on both sides and with short, stout, plumose hairs on margins, sulcus narrow, closed at base; petiole 0.6-0.8 mm long, puberulous and edged with a few short, stout, plumose hairs. Inflorescence: flowers 3 or 4 in 1(-3) whorls, terminal on secondary and tertiary branches; pedicel 2.0-3.5 mm long, finely hairy with retrorse hairs and occasionally short, stout, plumose hairs interspersed, reddish; bract partially recaulescent from 1/4-1/2 way up pedicel, oblong to lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 x 1.0-1.2 mm, cream to reddish pink, sometimes with green mainly in upper half, glabrous to finely hairy, with long, plumose marginal hairs, sulcus narrow, 1/2 length of bract; bracteoles 2, placed 3/4 way up pedicel, 3.0 x 0.7-1.0 mm, otherwise like bract. Calyx 4-partite, segments slightly imbricate, broadly lanceolate to ovate, 3.5-4.5 x 1.0-1.5 mm, reddish pink, glabrous to finely hairy, margins with long, plumose hairs, sulcus 1/2 length of segment. Corolla 4-lobed, 6-9 x 3-5 mm, ovoid-urceolate, finely puberulous to glabrous, pink to dark pink, hairs white; lobes spreading-recurved, rounded, 1.5-2.0 x 1.8-2.5 mm, erose. Stamens 8, included, free; filaments linear, ±4 mm, slightly widening to base, with slight bend below anther, glabrous, white; anthers bilobed, narrowly ovate to oblong in adaxial view, dorsally attached near base, appendiculate; thecae ovate to elliptic in lateral view, 1.0-1.2 x 0.5-0.6 mm, erect, brown, very finely aculeate, pore small 1/4-1/5 length of theca, spurs subspreading, abaxially ±0.6 x 2.5 mm, occasionally toothed, pink; pollen in tetrads. Ovary 4-locular, broadly obovoid to globose, 2-3 x 2-3 mm, emarginate, covered with dense, short hairs, red, with dark nectaries around base; ovules 40-50 per locule, spreading laterally from full-length placenta; style included, ±4.5-5.0 mm long, glabrous, dull red; stigma capitate, dark red. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, ±2.5 x 3.5 mm, valves splitting 3/4 their length and to 45° angle, septa only on valves, placenta large, convoluted and warty. Seeds ellipsoid, ±0.6 x 0.35 mm, shallowly reticulate-alveolate, brown; testa cells ±100 x 40 µm, anticlinal walls jigsawed, inner periclinal walls densely pitted. Flowering time: October to December.